Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-03-17

Halls Balsam for the lungs the most
valuable eXpectorant for breaking up
distressing coughs and colds. limo
Facts Which Should Have the Atte n
tention ofthe People.
The startling truth stares us in the
face that under the present system of
Federal taxation the Government is now
taking from the people one hundred
and twenty-five millions of dollars
year more than is needed to pay its
legitimate expenses and that this sys-
tenn of over taxation has been going on
for nearly ten years.
It is true, that under the plea that
the Treasury required large sums,
our taxing system has been rotten to
the core. Under the speciOus cry of
protection" the poor have been taxed
for the profit of the rich, and the vast
majority have been burdened in order
to grant privileges to few. A system
has grown up by which the rights of
ninety-five of our citizens have been
trampled upon in order that the other
five should be created an order of no.
billty, an aristocracy without titles, but
just as surely and regularly eating up
the earnings of the people.
Let it be borne in mind that if we go
on taking more taxes from the people
than are needed the consequences in
the future will be worse than in the
past, for up to this time we have been
able to use about four-fifths of the sur
plus revenue in the purchase of the in
terest bearing debt of the country, but
now as we already have more surplus
money in the Treasury than can be
used (for only about $50, ,0O0, 900 remain
which We can call in and pay.) and as
none of our interest bearing debt ma
lures before 1901, and then only $780,
100000 after which no more of the debt
natures until 1907, we shall only accu-
mulate and pile up in the Treasury
vast sum of the peoples money which
vicious and unnecessary accumulation
will be constant menace to decent and
economical government, temptation,
a source of corruption and the founda-
tion for jobs of the worst character.
How can these wrongs be righted?
The true way to right them is clearly
pointed out in the following propositions
by that able and clear-headed gentle
man Hon. M. d. Harter, of Mansfield,
one of the most extensive manufactur-
ers in Ohio. He says:
What we want, need and must have,
is pure government and the utmost
measure of public decency and good be-
havior at Washington, and this We can
insure only by keeping the treasury
bare and by paying into it only what is
,oooIoI hxy oil iv1u OitiVnn
to keep the balance of his earnings for
the use of himself and his family. This
is not only sound Democracy but it is
also the language of common sense.
Aside, however, from the corrupting
influence of surplus revenue and an
overfowing treasury, there would be
other serious results. Suppose it to be
possible that every influence toward
lavish and corrupt expenditure could be
controlled. and that not dollar was
wasted, but that all taxes were honestly
collected, carefully placed in the treas
ury and faithfully kept there; it is still
easy to see that it would be withdraw
ing from the business of the country
nearly half million of dollars per day,
not needed by the Government, but alb
solutely required to carry on its enter
prises and needed to pay the wages of
its millions of workers. Soon we would
find the industries of the country suffer-
ing from foundation to roof, for no ma
ton exists on the earth to-day which
can sustain the daily drain from its ac-
tive resources of a half million dollars
to be permanently locked up and retired
from circulation. Not only the cause
of public morality and political decency
then, but the rights and interest of every
business requires that an instant stop
should be made to the collection and
building up of a surplus revenue.
e s. u Il II i;
1t is foundation declaration, if not,
indeed, the key stone for the arch of a
sound Democracy, that all taxes taken
from the people should go into the pub
| lie treasury, while under the present
system only very small part of the
taxes taken from the people reaches the
treasury, and the bulk goes into the
pockets of corporations and individuals,
no more entitled to swallow up the
earnings and savings ofthe people than
the Khan of Tartary. Every unjust
tax can now be dispensed with, every
| IUTelNOuS GAdCLIOu Cetil uOW NC lOPpCu vi
and we are where we can abolish every
tax except those where the entire pro
ceeds reach the public treasury. In i'm
posing taxes duties) justly we mus
keep in view that cardinal truth tha
all taxes are injurious and burdensome
They are, it is true, necessary evil, bu
like any other evil, should be KEEP
} within the narrowest limits. Whel
} taxes are high the people either grow
poor or fail to become rich and canno
, accumulate as they should. Whel
, great sums must be raised by taxation
even articles of necessity are reaches
| and burdened, but when taxes are loV
7 they can and should be confined to
few articles, in number, and these
| luxuries to great extent. High take
- mean larger cost of production, highe
| prices and smaller sales, with less de
| inand for labor, lower wages for it, an
!, larger living expenses. Low taxes ell
{ ahje us to produce cheaply, emplo